Into everyone's life a little Ken Green must fall: the tour's bad boy is back, and he's still not pulling any punches

Golf Digest, June, 2003 by Peter McCleery

How did you react when the doctor said you needed to get on the medication? Any qualms?

I was relieved, because I thought I was going nuts. You're like an inch away from Jack Nicholson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"--I'm going to have those dopey pajamas, and I'm going to be looking out the window wondering what's happening. That's what you're thinking. The problem is, all those little demons were still in my brain. Just because I'm mentally healthy and I can start attacking life again, my next battle was getting these puppies out of there. All the negative thoughts, the panic, the fear and anxiety.

The guy who probably has the demons in his game as bad as I did is Seve. The difference between Seve and me is, he'll never admit it. I feel for the guy, which is surprising, because I've never been a Seve fan.

What was the first of your problems with Seve--when you got in the middle of that ruling over a drop he wanted to take at Augusta in 1989?

He always played the little stupid games, with the walking or the coughing while you were hitting--that kind of stuff. Was it because he was in his own little world and didn't realize it, or is he doing it intentionally?

What do you remember about that situation on the 10th hole at Augusta in '89, when he was trying to get a favorable ruling in the final round?

That's a nice way of phrasing it. He had played a phenomenal front nine and was tied for the lead. Just pull-hooked it on the 10th, ended up in a slight indent. I went over to look. He had a shot, except for the fact that he couldn't get a 3-iron up over this little knoll right in front of him. So I was like, Tough break; he's going to have to pitch out. Next thing I know I see him preparing to drop. I had to hoof it all the way back to see what the hell was going on. That's when the official said, "At Augusta we have this local rule, if it's crowd damage, we give the player a drop." Seve's particular interpretation of crowd damage was people just walking and the grass being matted down.

That's when I said, "No, no, no--I'm not accepting this." That's when they called for another ruling. [Michael Bonallack, Royal & Ancient secretary at the time, denied Ballesteros the drop, and Nick Faldo went on to win.]

Is there anything as a golfer that you've got now that Seve doesn't?

Well, I got my brain back and he doesn't, so I guess I'm 1 up on him there. But I respect the fact that he's still fighting and he's still trying. For that, I'd shake his hand and go on.

Beyond Seve, you've had your share of controversies at Augusta.

I got absolutely slammed when I played my last Masters in '97 with the Raymond Floyd thing after I played with Palmer. I got absolutely crucified.

Part of that was because you wanted to have a beer while playing with Arnie?

It was a combination. I had the beer on the 15th hole. That was the first time I had played with Arnie. A bunch of the reporters wanted to know what it was like to play with different superstars. I can remember Nicklaus the first time. I remember Seve the first time. You know, the Watsons, the Floyds. And that's why I mentioned the Floyd thing.